San Diego chapter of Achievement Rewards for College Scientists Foundation will support 12 students this academic year.

SDSU Biology Professor Sandford Bernstein will work with Professor Mike Geeves of the University of Kent, United Kingdom which was given over $2.9 Million for a protein study. The project will investigate proteins behind functions as diverse as cell division, hearing and heartbeats.

Six San Diego scientists will receive more than $15 million in funding from the state stem cell institute, to support projects ranging from the development of a therapy to halt acute leukemias to research into therapies to prevent premature birth and birth defects. Professor Zayas will receive $1.7 million.

SDSU researchers are the first to prove that anthrax bacteria has the ability to directly penetrate the blood-brain barrier, a barrier which normally functions to keep dangerous viruses and bacteria from entering the brain.